Invisible Disability

Not all illnesses are visible . While I love looking and feeling healthy, the reality is that I still have terminal breast cancer; I am still in treatment; and I could go from healthy to needing chemo or surgery or radiation in the blink of an eye. 

Because of the medicines I take, I sometimes get light-headed because of low blood pressure. For this reason, I always ask for Red Cap assistancewhen traveling on Amtrak. The Red Caps that have helped me have all been wonderful and very helpful and kind. However, on my last trip, when we stopped at Wilmington, a Red Cap assisting another passenger very rudely ordered me to give up my seat so he could put his passenger in it. He never bothered asking if I was healthy enough to wander through a full train carrying a heavy bag to find a seat. He just assumed because I was young, that I could do so. Fortunately, a kind gentleman offered me his seat.  

Before you judge folks who appear “healthy” for using disability “perks”, remember they may have a medical condition that you cannot see. Every one of us would gladly give up those perks to be 100% healthy.